I think a lot of people have lost respect for the individual, you know, the individual, the person who doesn't conform. Erykah Badu More Quotes by Erykah Badu More Quotes From Erykah Badu We were all born, and we all came to the music business with everything we had. Some of us just don't get a chance. Now there's a lot of other people like myself, indeed, who are getting heard worldwide. That gives other artists a chance. Erykah Badu artist giving people Hip-hop is not something we do, it's something we live. It's the way we dress, the way we talk... everybody bobbing to the same beat. It's a culture, and you have to find your own place in that culture. Top 10 or Top 40 can't dictate that. They can only dictate what's marketable. Erykah Badu top-10 hip-hop music I'm just being who I am and expressing myself as everyone else does. Erykah Badu just-being who-i-am doe I had the opportunity, as a child, to grow up in a community center where I was exposed to theater, music, art, and computer science; things that I would have never had the opportunity to even meet had it not been for those people taking time out of their schedules, helping us as children to travel all over the world while sitting in a gymnasium. That's what I did before I was a musician, before I was a recording artist, I was a teacher and a community leader. Erykah Badu teacher children art I can be Erykah the human being more than the celebrity. Erykah Badu human-beings i-can humans The reason why you don't see people looking like me is because I don't encourage that. I encourage you to be you. Erykah Badu like-me reason-why people I mean thats a big part of our existence here on earth, the personal relationship we have with the person that we love, with the person that we make love to, with the person that we share our lives with. We expect a lot of things back from our loved one, and the lesson is to accept and not expect. Erykah Badu making-love lessons mean Hip-hop was created out of necessity. We needed to create some digitized things to help us understand what we were feeling. Erykah Badu hips hip-hop feelings I am not systematic at all when it comes to religion. I just love life. And I'm not judgmental. And I'm a vegetarian. Erykah Badu systematic love-life vegetarian The music business is motivated by money. Music is motivated by energy and feelings. Erykah Badu energy business feelings Some people come up and ask for an autograph and don't even look at me. They're like, 'Here, do it.' That don't bother me, but it doesn't open my heart. Erykah Badu heart people looks I thought the Billie Holiday comparison was beautiful. I think, Wow, what a wonderful, creative, helpful spirit. She's someone who wanted to help others by sharing her emotion. That's what I do, too, so I think that's a great comparison. Erykah Badu holiday helping-others beautiful During childbirth and hospice I'll sing gospel songs that my grandma taught me when I was younger, or something I've made up, or I'll hum. I just play things that I think the audience will like. Erykah Badu grandma song thinking I consider my musical ability to be a gift from the Creator. It's not that I try to work hard or nothing like that, it's a gift, it was given to me, and I appreciate it. Erykah Badu musical-ability appreciate hard-work No one chooses to raise children alone. Erykah Badu raises children I have a master plan as an artist. I've always said I'm not going to be punching nobody's clock. I will work as an artist to survive in this world. Erykah Badu punching artist world The wise healer endures the pain. Cry. Tears bring joy. Erykah Badu pain wise joy I bring the staple of my culture. Erykah Badu staples culture I believed in myself, and I've always worked very, very hard as an artist, and I am an artist in every sense of the word. Erykah Badu hard artist Music and the music business are two different things. Erykah Badu different business two
